Battle for the Throne
by DarkWarr
Summary: Let's face it, the final battle was abit of a let-down. This is my take on how it should've happened. Hope you enjoy it
1. Battle Joined

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**This is something different from the Bleach fanfiction I normally do. Since I ran out of inspiration I decided to write something else for a change. Still my favourite type of story... Fighting... Lol... But still, it's a change of rules so it might help out... I hope.**

** All in all, this'll be about three chapters long. The first probably gonna be the longest, just the "Mental Realm" fight, and the second will be the dark ending, and the third will be the light ending. If y'all have any constructive criticisms, or just wanna say how much my story rocks... Lol... ermm... Yeah, give me a comment.**

** Also, when you read this you HAVE to have played the game for this to make sense to you... Or at least, you must've read the spoilers on Wikipedia or something. K? Off we go, God bless you! **

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The Dark Prince stood above the Prince, his right hand gripping the crown of Persia, that would fall on the head of the Prince of Persia. Whose soul would rule the Prince would be decided in this final battle.

0…0…0

"**All that is yours, is rightfully mine! And mine, it will be**!"

The Dark Prince swung his left arm, his daggertail screaming forth, cutting through the air towards the Prince, who leapt back and out of the way. The Prince drew forth his sword, the shining sword of Sharaman, and promptly leapt forward to meet to the Dark Prince. The Dark Prince smirked and recalled his weapon, the daggertail sailing back towards the Prince, who spun to block the blow. The Dark Prince dashed forward and wrapped his right arm around the Prince's neck, chocking the Prince.

"**What did you expect? That when you slew the Vizier that I would simply disappear? Oh, you're so blind! Your rage, your pride, your selfish ways, they give me form and substance! Even with the Sands gone I have the strength to remain, and with the Vizier gone I can take your place and rule the kingdom**!"

The Dark Prince drew his lips closer to the Prince and sneered into his ear, "**And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it**!" The Dark Prince cackled, releasing his grip and throwing the Prince forward, into the middle of the Terrace, into the middle of the gaping hole that suddenly appeared. The Prince fell, but felt no fear, as light flashed all around him, he knew that this was merely in his head, a battle that was destined to happen. He had been expecting this, and he was ready.

0…0…0…0…0…0…0

"**You've been given the ability to manipulate time itself! What wars you could have fought, monuments you could have erected in your name! What women you could've kept!**"

The Dark Prince materialized on a circular platform that seemed to float in the air. The Prince landed on a separate platform and sought to find his balance, but the world kept moving. A quick glance saw nothing but light and shifting lines, shapes and figures, disorientating and making it near impossible to find balance.

The Dark Prince seemed to have no problem with the lack of balance, however, and stabbed at the Prince with his left arm, the Daggertail screaming forth and shooting through the air, attempting to puncture the Prince. The Prince dodged the attack and leapt at the other platform, the gap between the two seemingly too large to cover in a single leap. Much to his surprise, and relief, the platforms were not far apart, and the Prince landed at his dark alter ego's side, his blade flashing upwards at his back. The demon spun and grabbed the sword with his right hand, leaping upward and dragging the Prince along. Curiously, the Dark Prince's ascend did not end, but they appeared to sail upward and onward further into the light.

"**You failed me, Prince**," the Dark Prince sneered at the hero below him, "**You grew soft and sympathetic. My attempts to get you to see glory fell on deaf ears, so I bidded my time, waiting for the proper moment to strike,**"

0…0…0

They ascended to to another platform, this one L-shaped with several pillars jutting up from the corners. The Dark Prince threw the Prince at one of the pillars and landed, his daggertail returning to his arm. The Prince hit the pillar and coughed up blood, the force of impact cracking the pillar, but quickly recovered and stood up to face his evil half, who continued to taunt him.

"**You do not deserve what you've been given. The world's greatest Empire, you could've ruled the world**!" The bladed whip wrapped itself around the Dark Prince's left arm, turning it effectively into a barbed weapon, no flesh left bare. "**You have squandered it, Prince! I would do it justice, and so it should be mine**!"

The Dark Prince leapt at the Prince, howling with anger, his left arm bearing down on the Prince, who raised his own blade to block the blow. "You are just a parasite!" The Prince growled as his father's blade met the Dark Prince's armored arm.

"You deserve nothing!" The Prince yelled, shoving his inner demon away and off the platform. The Prince, filled with self-righteous anger now, leapt forward to continue the battle, only to find himself falling…

0…0…0…0…0…0…0

Into the chamber where he found the Fountain of Life that he encountered in Azad. The Prince gazed around, shocked to find himself in so familiar a place within his own mind, but quickly regained his focus, as his dark half stood where the Fountain of Life should have been. He leapt forth and joined battle with the Dark Prince on the central platform, his sword cutting downward, attempted to slice the Dark Prince in half. The demon swung his daggertail, the bladed whip wrapping around the Prince's sword and leaving it in his control. The Dark Prince laughed and pulled his arm back, drawing the Prince closer to himself. The Prince cried out as his body sailed to the demon, but tugged on the sword to send himself shooting toward the demon instead. The Dark Prince's eyes widened in shock as the Prince pulled back, his feet jabbing forward and connecting with his gut, sending the demon tumbling into the darkness.

The Prince untangled his blade and growled, leaping down yet again, falling into the darkness, where the demon called out, "**But don't I? Have I not earned it? How many times have I saved you, unblocked your path, remind you of your mission? But all you cared about was Farah, and your father, and how everything bad always happened to you! Boo hoo, Prince**!"

0…0…0

The Prince fell and found himself over the ship that took him to the Island of Time, the ship that was burned to ashes by Shadee and her crew. His eyes widened in fear as the burning ship seemed to rush up to him, the flames eager to consume and envelope him…

0…0…0

And the Prince landed on yet another circular platform; back again in the bright realm that was his mental state. The Prince looked around, apparently alone in the void. But he knew better than to think that. "Your words are empty, have always been empty!" The Prince called out, "You are just a desperate, selfish spirit!"

"**If I am selfish, it is because of you**!" The Dark Prince growled as he came into view on another circular platform, slowing moving towards the Prince. "**If I am ruthless, cunning, and lacking in morals, it is because of you! I did not spin myself out of the ether, I was not conjured by some mad Vizier! I AM YOU**!"

Both souls leapt to meet each other as the platforms drew closer, and collided in the air, their weapons a tangled mess, their free arms grasping each other with a vice-like grip, neither relinquishing his hold over the other. The Prince curled his right leg back and kneed the gut of his dark alter ego, whose grip promptly loosened and was sent tumbling into the light…

0…0…0…0…0…0…0

Falling hard on the Time Portal the Prince had found in the Throne Room of the Island of Time. The Dark Prince hit the ground hard and bounced, cracking the floor and coughing up blood. The cracks seemed to cut into the spiral design of the Portal. The Prince stood over the shadow of himself and whispered, "I have seen the error of my ways, and I have atoned for my transgressions. I am no longer that person!"

The Dark Prince howled in rage and leapt forth, and the Prince slashed upwards with his blade. The demon back flipped to avoid the strike, his boot connecting with the Prince's chin, sending the Prince flying into the air. The Dark Prince swung his daggertail, wrapping the bladed whip about the Prince's leg, causing the Prince to cry out in pain as the blades sunk deeper into his flesh as the whip tightened its grip. The demon cackled and spun the Prince about, slamming him into a nearby pillar and loosening his whip, allowing the Prince to fall into the darkness. The Dark Prince leapt forth and sailed downward, his daggertail trailing out behind him.

"**Seasons change, tastes change, but people? People never change! And you delude yourself by thinking such,**" The Dark Prince now fell along side the Prince, and he held out his unarmed right arm to him, "**Set down your sword, Prince. Embrace me,**"

The Prince grunted and swung his blade at the demon, who spun to dodge the blow, his daggertail now spinning toward the Prince. The Prince shifted his position and grabbed the bladed whip, pulling himself closer to the Dark Prince, ignoring the blood seeping through his left hand, and his sword aimed toward his heart. The demon's eyes widened in shock, and hardened into anger as he growled, "**Do you mean to kill me then? Cut me down like all your other enemies? Swing that sword, Prince! We'll see how well that works,**"

0…0…0

The shining sword of Sharaman stabbed the heart of the Dark Prince, whose face now bore a blank expression. Unsatisfied he had killed the demon, the Prince pulled his blade out to the side, and slashed repeatedly at the now disappearing and disembodied form of the Dark Prince. The Prince continued to fall, but now the darkness shifted back to light as he fell within his own twisted Mental Realm.

"**Oh, such violence. Your anger serves only to feed me**," the disembodied voice of the Dark Prince continued to echo within the Prince's mind. The Prince's fall ended as he landed on a circular platform. He gripped the sides of his head, as if to block the voice, and stumbled onto the floor, his mind weary from the battle with the Vizier and now the battle with himself. "**So, I ask you, have you really changed? After all, I'm still right here, standing before you**!"

"After all this time, I still cannot defeat him..." thought the Prince, his weary mind spent, his fighting spirit gone.

0…0…0…0…0…0…0

The Prince lifted his eyes up, his soul exhausted, expecting to find the Dark Prince standing over him, triumphant, but to his shock, instead saw Farah standing at her balcony. His mind still racing, he looked around, only to find himself in her chambers, the same chambers where he had originally slain the Vizier. The Prince turned to face his lover, warmth and comfort seeming to come from her, beckoning him to go to her. He got up, and as he approached her, his surroundings changed, and he was back again in his twisted realm. But the Prince did not notice this, his eyes focused on the beautiful face of Farah, who now at the foot of a grand staircase that seemed to lead to the Heavens. Finally, she spoke, her voice a soothing blanket in the thick of pain.

"Prince, leave this place. It reeks of sadness and anger. Do not give into it, leave. Come, I will show the way!" Farah turned and ran up the stairs, further away, but deeper into the light that waited at the top. The Prince took another step forward, but his inner demon suddenly appeared before him yet again, standing in his way.

"**Are you ready to relinquish control yet**?" The Dark Prince sneered, pointing behind the Prince. The Prince turned, and saw a Throne, and he knew what it represented. Whoever sat on the Throne would be King over this realm, _his_ realm, the realm of the Prince.

0…0…0…0…0…0…0

The Prince turned to face his alter ego, his mind reeling with the choices before him, as well as the memories he had recovered through these battles. Farah's appearance had given him strength, strength enough to finally make a choice…


	2. Darkness

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I received a comment saying the first chapter never happened. Well, DUH! If I had just described him running from platform to platform, I personally think it would have been boring and monotonous. Next, I know that some may find the dialogue something of a put-off, simply because it was not accurate. I apologize for this, but I did the best I could by sitting down in front of my TV speakers and straining my ears and feverishly copying down every line said**

**Understandably, I may have missed out some or altered some sentences, and for that I apologize.**

**Now, this is the "Dark" ending for the game. I decided to do this first cos I figured it was gonna be... Interesting to write. The next chapter shall be the "Light" ending. Enjoy, God bless you!**

**P.S: Before anyone makes another comment, yes, this does NOT happen in the game, thus FANFICTION  
**

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"I'll cut you down before I leave this place," the Prince muttered under his breath as he dashed forward, the sword of Sharaman now blazing in his hand. With a decisive slash he cut the Dark Prince in half, causing the two halves of his body to dissipate into thin air. The Prince smirked as he continued his way up the staircase. He was half-way up before he heard a voice call him. No, not a voice, but many voices, vast and powerful, yet one and the same.

"**That worked well**," commented the Dark Prince. The Prince turned around in anger, and froze in horror. There in the Throne room were now two of them!

"Impossible!" The Prince thought in horror, rage seeping through the walls of his mind. He leapt down the stairs and in a single stroke cut down the two, which multiplied into four. Outraged, he struck again, and there were eight!

"**Ouch, stop it**!" The Dark Princes laughed, "**You're hurting me**!" The Prince continued to hack at his opponents, the waters of rage broken through the walls of his mind and pouring out full force in his mind. He could not leave this place with the Dark Prince still alive! He had to kill him! Sixteen, thirty two, sixty four!

_NO! I will kill you!_

"**Only a little longer, Prince**," the Dark Princes coaxed him, the smiles on their faces never diminishing even as more and more of their comrades fell. The Prince's attacks now never stopped, one slash following into another. A diagonal slash spinning around to become a vertical upper-slice at another. He kept on attacking until finally, only one Dark Prince was left in the hall with him. Breathing hard, the Prince made his way to him…

And just as he stepped into the center of the room, the rest of the room filled up with replicas of the Dark Prince. In unison they laughed, and in unison they raised their left hands, daggertails extending.

"**Only one soul may rule this body, Prince**," they smiled, "**All that is yours, is rightfully mine! And mine it will be**!"

In unison, they brought their daggertails down, and the Prince's cry echoed throughout the Mental Realm, his soul torn…

0…0…0…0…0…0…0

"Wake up, Prince," Farah said, "Wake up!" The Prince groaned and sat up, rubbing his head.

"Are you alright?" Farah smiled down at him. The Prince looked up at her, and Farah was taken aback by the look of pure loathing the Prince gave her. Quick as thought, the look was gone, and the Prince looked at her with such love and affection Farah doubted what she had seen.

"I think," the Prince laughed, "I think it's finally over!" Farah smiled and helped the Prince to stand. She turned to the balcony and rested her head on a pillar, admiring the setting sun.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Farah sighed, "Prince, there's one thing I still don't understand. How did you really know my name?"

"**It is a long, monotonous tale, and whores like you will never understand**," Farah turned and faced the Prince in shock; never had anyone addressed her in such a vile manner, and much less one of royal blood. She examined the Prince more closely this time, but found no change physically. Nothing seemed to change in him except...

His eyes. His eyes gave away the presence of another soul, not the Prince. His face spoke of love, but his eyes spoke of arrogance and greed, hunger for power and lust for battle. His eyes were not that of the Prince, but that of a demon.

"**You see it now**?" The Prince laughed, his voice was the same, yet it belonged to someone else entirely. It was so clear that Farah was shocked that she had missed it.

"Who are you? What have you done with him?" Farah cried out, her hand reaching over her shoulder, drawing forth an arrow. In one swift motion she drew the arrow and notched it, sighting down on the Prince, or whoever it was.

"**Sorry, but the Prince isn't here right now**," The Prince smirked, the glowing sword of the late King of Persia flashing into his hand, "**But if you really want to see him, I'll gladly escort you to him**,"

Farah cried out, releasing the arrow and immediately reloading in one smooth motion, but she never fired the second shot. The Prince had dashed forward and knocked aside her first arrow with dexterity that only he possessed, his sword slashing down on the arrow and splitting it in the middle. The Prince spun in mid-step and appeared behind the Princess of India, his sword held to her throat.

"**You really ought to die now**," the Prince complained, "**You've been so hard to kill with that wimp standing in my way**," His sword slashed, and Farah was no more.

0…0…0…0…0…0…0

The Prince stood at his Throne, spun, and sat down in one fluid motion. He grabbed the crown beside the Throne and proudly seated it on his head.

"**All the world is at my command**," the Prince laughed aloud, "**I command the greatest empire in the world! It will all be mine**!" Fevered now, the Prince dashed forward toward a map of the world painted on the wall. His sword of Sharaman flashed into his hand as he jabbed it at Africa.

"**First, Africa**!" he spun the sword, the blade slicing the world into shreds, "**Then Europe, Asia, Russia, South East Asia, Australia**!" With a flourish, he drew the sword from the wall and slammed it back into the center of the map, where a giant blank existed.

"**Then, I will sail the seas, and I will conquer the other worlds out there! Nothing will be denied from me**!" The Prince threw his hands high above his head, cackling, and a mad gleam in his eye. Elsewhere in Babylon, the people cowered in fear, what had they done? They had rid themselves of a tyrant, only to be ruled now by a demon.

"**I am the Prince of Persia, the King of Blades, and the Master of the World**!"


	3. Light

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Frankly, I wrote this story several times over and couldn't seem to come up with a good battle. I think the point is that for a good ending to the Prince, ultimately making peace has to be the best way. However, I added in my own twists and turns and included a fight here. Come on, seriously, fights are my favourite thing to write! Anyways, here's the "Good" ending of the game. My version. The Prince finishes off the Dark Prince with a promise, and the game comes full circle...**

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"I'm leaving," the Prince smiled at his alter ego, "You're not coming along for the ride this time," He began to stride confidently up the grand stairway, headed towards the light where he knew peace and comfort awaited him…

"**What are you doing?**" a stunned voice asked from behind him, and the Prince turned to see the demon, suddenly distant, and now translucent, as if his spirit or body were fading. The Dark Prince dashed forward to the staircase but seemed to hit an invisible wall each time he attempted to ascend it. "**Stop!**"

"I have no intention of such nonsense," The Prince continued to stride forward, now with more confidence, with every step a power seemed to build within him, as though a burden was being lifted. He chanced a glance back and was startled, the Dark Prince was now little more than a ghost, his dark form now almost completely transparent, whipping at the Prince with his Daggertail, but no matter how far the weapon extended, it never touched the Prince.

"**Do not walk away!**" his voice was almost pleading now, begging, yet his eyes retained their violent anger, "**Do not leave me behind!**"

The Prince turned and, drawing a deep breath, dashed up the stairs now, three steps at a time, faster and faster, into the light…

"Good-bye..."

"**No!**"

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"Wake up! Wake up, Prince!"

The voice of Farah pulled him back through reality, and the Prince sat up with a gasp, the aches and pains of his body now rushing back like a flood. Within the Mental Realm he had been free of such pain, but now they were back in full force, and even his mind was weary after the long battle against his alter ego. None of that mattered now though, as he gazed upon the most beautiful woman in the world, smiling down upon him with love and affection like none he had ever known.

"Are you alright?"

"I…" the Prince was unsure of what to say, "I think it's finally over!" Farah giggled at the look of utter relief that had washed over the face of the Prince, giving him an odd and funny look. "What?"

Before she could reply, a sound came from behind the Prince. Instantly, the Prince scooped the Princess of India in his arms and leapt aside as the end of the Daggertail slammed into the spot they had been just moments before. The Prince, panicked and confused, stared at the swirling mass of black that had begun to form where the Daggertail had fallen off his arm. The Dark Prince was back!

"**I will not be left behind!**" an enraged voice cried out from within the swirling mass of darkness, "**I will not fade, I will not just be a mere memory!**" The mass was beginning to solidify now, legs started to form at the base. The Prince gently released Farah and stood up, a new confidence seeming to strengthen and empower him as he strode towards his enemy.

"You don't know when it's over, do you?" The Prince said, "Very well. One last duel, Dark Prince, and I will show you why you should disappear!"

The Dark Prince fully materialized and let out a battle cry, leaping at the Prince, slashing his Daggertail at him. The Prince raised his left arm and allowed the Daggertail to wrap around his forearm, the blades sinking into his flesh, into the exact same place that it had been when he was cursed by the Sands. The eyes of the Dark Prince widened as the Prince spun and hurled him into a nearby pillar, slamming him into the marble and cracking it. The Prince, his forearm bleeding, ignored the pain and pulled, dropping his sword and slamming his right fist into the Dark Prince, his face twisted from the impact, and spinning him around, wrapping the bladed whip around his form. The Prince drew his alter ego close and wrapped his now bladed arm around the demon's neck, forcing the weakened enemy to walk towards the edge of the balcony, past a wide-eyed Farah.

"Look at that," the Prince gestured at the city of Babylon, her streets flooded with the cheers of her freed citizens, the faces of the thousands beaming. "Look at them!" he screamed into the ears of the Dark Prince who had shut his eyes. Reluctantly, the demon opened his eyes and gasped, the setting sun blazing in the horizon, giving the city a heavenly glow, and felt a twist in his heart that caused him to cry out in pain, his form writhing in the arms of the Prince.

"The beauty, the tranquility, the peace… The sheer joy is overwhelming for you, isn't it?" the Prince whispered to the trembling enemy in his arms, who had already shut his eyes. But even as his eyes closed the memory of the city lingered in his mind, the beauty tearing at his soul, "You cannot survive in such a place, Dark Prince, you have no place here. Leave,"

The Dark Prince began to fade, his will to fight gone, and his eyes finally opening, staring at the setting sun in the horizon. "**You never asked me what my favourite colour was,**" he spoke suddenly, and the statement stunned the Prince.

"Why would I want to know something like that?"

The Dark Prince turned and looked into the eyes of the Prince, his amber eyes glowing, "**You're an honourable prick, so you have to keep your promises, right? Promise me, and I will leave,**"

"I will consider it," retorted the Prince, "But I give no guarantee of making a promise. What do you want?"

The Dark Prince smirked and said, "**Paint this terrace orange, as well as your cutleries and weapons, your furniture and clothes. Remember me by this, my favourite colour,**"

The Prince gave a sour look, "But I hate orange!" The Dark Prince cackled as his form faded to oblivion.

0…0…0…0…0…0…0

"Do you intend to honour his dying request?

"I am a Prince, and he was an ally, at least for a time. He was like a brother, my best friend and my worst enemy as well. Of course I will honour his request," Farah stood next to the Prince on the Terrace, looking out on his city of Babylon, the setting sun still shining upon the city, promising the respite of night. On his arm the Prince still bore scars where the Daggertail had plunged into his flesh, forever reminding him of the trials he had faced, but now, he remembered them without hatred nor anger.

"All he wanted in the end was to be remembered," the Prince whispered, "It is incredible that a being of such pure evil could have such a simple ambition,"

"The root of all evil is pride, after all," Farah replied, "It is why he was so ambitious, it is why that when he finally recognized his battle was lost, he resorted to making you promise,"

"He will be remembered!" the Prince said, louder now, as if to bolster his confidence, "I will tell of his tale, and it shall be sung of by the bards of the lands, of how the Prince of Persia, son of King Sharaman, reclaimed his kingdom by the blade, and the help of both a beautiful Princess, and a devastating demon," The Prince and Farah stood in companionable silence for several minutes, content to simply remain in each other's presence.

"Prince?" Farah turned to the Prince suddenly, "There's something I still don't understand. How did you know my name?" The Prince laughed aloud and turned to the beautiful Princess, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ears.

0…0…0

_"Most people think time is like a river, that flows swift and sure in one direction. But I have seen the face of time, and I can tell you, they are wrong. Time is an ocean in a storm. You may wonder who I am and why I say this. Come, and I will tell you a tale like none you have ever heard…"_


End file.
